The Lighthouse

by Jen Talty

  He rolled to his side, kissing her shoulder, letting his fingers dance up and down her soft arm. “Denise, a classmate at West Point, and my girlfriend during my senior year, left me standing at the courthouse with a marriage license in my hand.”

  “As in she just didn’t show up?”

  He dropped his head to the pillow, gazing into Tequila’s sea-like eyes. “Denise showed up. She said she wanted to tell me in person why she couldn’t marry me.”

  “At the courthouse.” Tequila lowered her chin as her eyes widened. “She couldn’t have called and asked to meet you before?”

  “I never asked that question, because she showed up, told me she was going to marry her ex-boyfriend from home in a couple of months. She told me she confused the excitement of our relationship for love and that while she’d always think fondly of me, she needed to walk away.”

  “Holy fuck. What did you do.”

  “Nothing. I just stood there like an idiot and watched her walk away. I sat on a bench in the hallway for hours, dumbfounded. Eventually, I went back to my dorm. Gradation was a week away and my family was coming, so I sucked it up and acted like nothing happened until that August when a classmate showed me Denise’s wedding picture in the newspaper. Turns out the ex from home happened to be some hot shot, wealthy socialite. That was it. I was done with women in a long-term kind of way.”

  “I would be too after that. Where is this Denise now, because I kind of hope she’s miserable?”

  He smiled. “I have no idea and I honestly don’t care anymore.”

  “Good on you.” She cupped his face. “But she still controls your love life like a puppet master.”

  He chuckled. “I think someone is changing that and I have no idea how to cope because you honestly scare the crap out of me.”

  Her wide smile squeezed his heart and covered his skin in goosebumps.

  “The feeling is mutual. As in the scary part.”

  “You’re turn,” he said. “Why don’t you want a partner in life?”

  “It’s not that I don’t want one, but I’ve never had my heart broken. I don’t’ think I’ve ever been in love. I’ve tried, but every man I’ve ever been with only made me feel lukewarm.”

  “I think I do more than that.”

  “You do, but other than loving my family, I’m not sure I even know what real love looks like. I think I’m incapable of falling in love.”

  Ramey brushed his lips against hers in a swift, passionate gesture. “I doubt that.” One of the reasons he’d developed so many rules had been because he knew he could fall in love again if he wasn’t careful. “Something has you spooked.”

  “I suppose it has to do with how heartbroken my dad was over my mom.”

  “What happened?” Ramey asked, drawing her into his arms, sprawling his hands against her back, feeling her arch into him. He wanted to know everything about her, right down to who her first grade teacher was and what kind of ice cream she loved.

  “She died a few hours after I was born.”

  Ramey jerked his head back. “I’m so sorry.”

  She let out a long sigh. “I wish I could have had at least one memory of her.”

  “I can understand that. May I ask what happened?”

  “She started hemorrhaging shortly after I was born and the doctors couldn’t stop it.”

  Ramey knew what it felt like to lose a parent at a young age. His father had been what Ramey aspired to be like. He constantly tried to emulate him when he’d been alive. But to have never known him, that he couldn’t imagine. Nor could he comprehend what it must have been like for her father.

  “Did your father blame you?”

  “Never. Not once. He was a great father, but he never got over her. Sometimes I’d see him in his office, looking at her picture, crying like a baby. He always tried to hide that from me, but I saw it. I tried fixing him up with my teachers, but he never dated.”

  “My mom hasn’t dated and my dad has been dead for thirteen years. She’s spent all that time trying to marry us of so she can have grandbabies.”

  Tequila shivered in his arms.

  He held her tighter, kissing her temple, understanding how that statement could bother her.

  Only the shiver bothered him more.

  “Where is your dad now?” he asked.

  “He passed away. I was still in high school. My sister and her husband moved home to take care of me.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Ramey left out a long sigh.

  She titled her head toward him with water in her eyes. “My mother died, breaking my father’s heart. I watched it. Lived it. My sister’s husband died, leaving behind her and their son, Grant. Then two years ago my sister lost her battle with cancer. Grant wasn’t even sixteen yet.”

  He fanned his thumb across her cheek, wiping away the tear. His heart beat so fast it hurt. The mere thought of losing his brothers crippled his ability to think straight. They might not see each other every day, or even talk every day, but they were his world. What mattered.

  “I don’t want to die and leave someone heartbroken to live out their days in some empty shell, simply going through the motions. I don’t want to cause anyone that kind of grief.”

  Cradling her head on his shoulder, he rolled to his back, holding her as tenderly as he could. He’d never thought of it that way. He didn’t want to love because he didn’t want to get hurt again. Tequila didn’t want to hurt anyone. She’d rather live her days alone, than be the cause of anyone’s pain.

  At that moment, Ramey knew that he didn’t want to go day without her in his arms for the rest of his life.

  Yet, he was going to have to let her go.

  His mother’s voiced pecked at his mind, it’s better to have loved and lost, then to never know what it feels like to have the world, even if for only a short moment.

  This was his moment. In a day or two, it would be over.

  He held her, caressing her arms and back, kissing her forehead with sweet tender kisses. Her body relaxed into his and he figured she’d fall asleep there, and that was okay. He could give her whatever she needed right now.

  “I didn’t know that’s how I felt,” she whispered.

  “Now you know and that’s a good thing.”

  “I’m not so sure about that.” She lifted her head. “This is a really bad idea for both of us.”

  “Probably,” he said, staring into a tunnel of blue that sucked him right in.

  “We should stop before either one of is in too deep.”

  Too late for that, but he’d never let her know. “We’ve only known each other for a couple of days. We both understand each other, more than anyone else we’ve been with, which is what is scary. Makes us vulnerable, but when your job here is done, and you go back to Tampa, we won’t be but a nice memory to draw on in a sea of shit.”

  She smiled, letting out a short laugh.

  And his heart rejoiced.

  And he was so fucked.

  “Nice way with the words.”

  “Someone had to lighten the mood.” Revert back to sarcasm and diversion. Good plan, only he knew it wouldn’t work on his insides that had turned into a puddle of mush.

  She got on her knees. “I don’t think this lightens it, but it should have a positive reaction.” She ripped her shirt over her head, tossing it to the side. Her blonde hair her bounced over her shoulders and her nipples puckered.

  He wanted to kiss them. Caress them.

  Love them.

  Fuck. He was toast.

  He swallowed the lump in his throat as he leaned in, cupping the soft mounds and bringing them to his lips. He knew her leaving was going to hurt and that was something he’d have to deal with.

  Alone.

  He’d never let her see him hurt.

  But tonight was going to be different.

  He knelt next to her, kissing his way up her long, soft neck. Nibbling on her chin, until he landed on her plump lips. Gently, he glided his tongue between them.
His fingers fanning over her hard nipples, barely grazing them.

  She tried to reach inside his shorts, but he batted her hand away. There would be no power struggle. This wasn’t going to be a romp in bed designed solely for primal release. If he was going to have to let her go, he wanted one night that could be something close to perfect as one could possible get.

  He pushed her onto her back, kissing her mouth. She tasted like chocolate mint and felt like warm honey.

  Her hands sprawled out over his back, fingers digging in. Her legs spread open as he settled himself on top of her. Visions of what a life could be like with her tortured his mind. He could see them holding hands at the beach. Taking long airplane rides up and down the coast. Laughing.

  Loving.

  Making love to her was such a bad idea.

  He shoved his tongue deeper in her mouth, swirling every inch. He pushed himself hard against her and was rewarded with a load moan.

  As he removed her shorts, and rid himself of his own, he took a moment to admire her body. The way it glistened under the moon and the stars peaking in from the skylights. But it wasn’t just her body that was perfection.

  It was the woman inside.

  He lifted her foot, kissing her ankle, gliding his tongue up the sweet curve of her calf, looking into her heavy eyes, filled with desire.

  For him.

  It took his breath away. Made him dizzy. The room spun as if he’d had too much to drink.

  Of her.

  All he wanted right now was to please her.

  He buried his face between her legs, kissing and lapping as her hips rolled and her hands dug into his scalp. His name floating from her lips to his ears. He was lost in her. This was like nothing he’d ever experienced.

  And he’d experienced some pretty amazing sexual encounters.

  But Tequila made him drunk.

  He smiled against her, enjoying her sweet, succulent juices. He could tell she was close, and that made him even more intoxicated.

  All of a sudden, she pushed him away.

  He blinked, looking up at her, worried he did something wrong, but then she tossed him on his back, straddled him, reaching over him toward the nightstand. Before he could truly comprehend what was happening, she’d covered him in the condom.

  He groaned as she lowered herself on top of him. It felt like he’d stepped onto the beach on the most gorgeous of sunny, warm days. He sucked in a breath and could have sworn he tasted the salty ocean air.

  Holding onto her round hips, he kept her movements slow and controlled, though it wasn’t easy. She tossed her head back, moaning, cupping her breasts as she rode over him.

  His chest heaved up and down with his labored breath. He squeezed her hips tighter, rocking her a little faster, feeling her tighten around him. She looked down at him. Her gaze filled with passion. Her body withering with desire. Rocking back and forth and up and down, she cried out as she bent over, her hands on his chest, nails digging into his skin.

  He grabbed her face, holding her gaze as he thrust himself into her. He searched her eyes as her climax spilled out, jerking her body. He swelled inside her and burst seconds later, still staring into her captivating gaze, groaning out her name.

  He had no idea how long they explored each other’s intense gaze, other than it lasted for as long as they needed to catch their breath. He pulled her chest down to his, rolling her body to his side. Her arms and legs draped over him like a soft and cozy snuggy.

  He was turning into a sap.

  Soon to be a slightly heartbroken sap, because people didn’t fall in love in a couple of days. That took weeks or months of getting to know one another.

  He kissed her forehead and closed his eyes, ignoring the voice in the back of his head telling him he’d fallen so far deep in love he’d never be able to see past it.

  Chapter 10

  TEQUILA CLIMBED OUT of the Jeep in the parking lot of the Horizon Hospital parking garage, her cheeks still warm with embarrassment.

  Not only had her revelation about why she couldn’t, or didn’t, allow herself to love anyone, shocked her.

  But she’d said it out loud.

  To Ramey.

  Then she made love to him.

  She needed this case to be done and then she needed a good shot of whiskey. Better yet, make it a bottle.

  Her and Ramey might be cut from the same cloth, but no one, including her, should be trying to sew it together, especially considering how distant Ramey had been all morning.

  Distant and cold.

  “We probably shouldn’t be seen going in together,” Ramey said. His hands firmly planted on his hips as he looked toward the tall building.

  “Why don’t you and Logan go in first? Check in and visit with the little boy you promised to see and Kyle and I will go up in about ten minutes, asking for the nurse.” Tequila tried to ignore the pang of hurt she felt when Ramey barely even looked at her.

  “I’m a tough sell on being a reporter,” Kyle said, looping his arm over Tequila as if he knew she needed a friendly embrace.

  “I think the question will be more of why are there two reporters,” Logan said, stepping up next to his brother. “But we use the buddy system. We have no idea what we’re dealing with.”

  “Agreed.” Ramey turned his head and pointed at Kyle. “You watch her back, got it.”

  “Got it,” Kyle said.

  Great. He goes from being a cold asshole to stupid Neanderthal in two seconds flat. Not that his comment meant he cared. No, it was probably just him showing his true colors. Or running scared after her insane confession.

  Yeah. She knew it was the latter and she understood it.

  Ramey glanced over his shoulder and gave her a slight smile. She nodded, but it didn’t make her feel any better.

  “What crawled up his ass?” Kyle asked as he nudged her across the parking garage and away from Ramey’s Jeep. Just in case.

  “Me.”

  Kyle opened his mouth, then, like the smart man he was, quickly snapped it shut.

  “I got too close to quick and spooked us both, but it’s for the best.”

  “You haven’t even given him a chance.”

  She stopped to let a car drive past before making her way to the skywalk. “We live like two thousand miles from each other and that isn’t the biggest issue. Now let’s drop it and focus on the plan.”

  “I’m still not convinced that Brooks and this Nurse Bolton are trying to discredit or kill Ramey.”

  “Right now, it’s the only lead we have and after interviewing Brooks, and his team, well let’s just say that Brooks has it in for Ramey on many levels.”

  “What’s Nurse Bolton’s motivation?”

  “Don’t know yet, but maybe we can get some insight—”

  Click!

  Click!

  Cold metal pressed against the back of her head.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kyle’s eyes roll to the back of his head as he collapsed to the ground, Nurse Bolton standing over him.

  Before she could calculate the risks of going for her weapon, Captain Brooks had taken it from her.

  “What did you give him?” Tequila asked.

  “Nothing that will kill him, yet.”

  “Move.” Brooks pressed the gun into her back, pushing her back across the pavement.

  She watched as the nurse, with two other people she didn’t recognize, load Kyle’s body onto a gurney and into an ambulance parked near the elevator.

  “Where are you taking him?” she asked, assessing the area for people. Hopefully someone saw what happened, which might help Logan and Ramey in finding her and Kyle.

  She swallowed. Her experiences in combat had been in the air, not on the ground.

  “Don’t you worry about him. Now get in.” He shoved her into a dark sedan with tinted windows. She hoped it was a government vehicle, which would be stupid on his part.

  She suspected that he wasn’t that stupid.

  Slip
ping into the back seat, her heart stopped the second she saw Jasper Marlin.

  “Don’t look so surprised.”

  “Shocked is more like it.”

  The engine of the sedan kicked over and Brooks pulled out of the parking space nice and slow. She noted the ambulance wasn’t too far behind them as they eased out into traffic.

  “You’ve been a pain in my ass the second you stepped into my office.”

  “Why’d you invite me then?” She folded her arms, glaring at the Lieutenant Colonel.

  “When Ramey asked for a special investigation, I fought it. Hard. But I had to bring it to the review board. I practically begged them not to, that Ramey was just stressed and maybe needed a vacation. But no. They think, like everyone else in this God forsaken place, that Ramey is fucking Superman.”

  “You want to kill him because you’re jealous of him? That’s kind of lame, don’t ya think?” She mentally slapped herself. Baiting the man wasn’t going to help her situation, but she couldn’t help herself.

  “Tsk. Tsk.” He shook his head. “I’m not jealous at all. I actually respect Ramey. He’s the best test pilot we have and the problem is everyone knows it. You see. I need him out of the way, whether that be because he’s dead, or deemed crazy, I could care less. I just need Brooks to be testing the sixth-generation planes so I can sell one.”

  Her eyebrows shot up. “You’re going to what?”

  “You heard me.” He tapped her knee. “Now pull out your cell phone and tell him to meet you back at his place.”

  “He won’t believe I left without him.”

  Jasper drew his lips in a tight line. “Tell him if he’s not there in an hour, with his brother, you’re a dead woman.”

  ***

  “God, fucking damn it.” Ramey punched the wall next to the elevator. “I’m going to kill Jasper.”

  “No, you’re not,” Logan said, squeezing his shoulder, but it didn’t calm Ramey one bit.

  He should have never left Tequila alone.

  Hell, he should have known it was Jasper.

  “Watch me,” Ramey muttered.

  “We’re not going there half-cocked. We need a plan and—”

  Ramey’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the number. “It’s Dylan.” He tapped his phone. “Where you at?” he asked his little brother.